Marc Marquez’s rivals have a mountain to climb at the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang this weekend to chase down the Repsol Honda Team rider’s 39-point lead in the MotoGP™ World Championship with only four races to go.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo is Marquez’s closest challenger and will be giving his all to try and haul back points on the Honda rookie, who last time out in Aragón made the headlines for not only his latest win. His contact with teammate Dani Pedrosa, which led to the rear wheel sensor of the latter failing – resulting in a big highside – will be discussed by Race Direction this Thursday.

Simona De Silvestro, driver of the #78 KV Racing Technology during the IZOD IndyCar Series Shell and Pennzoil Race 1 at Reliant Park. (Getty Images)

An IndyCar season that started with so much promise for Simona de Silvestro finally delivered a payoff for the Swiss driver.

She scored the first podium finish of her career Saturday with a second-place finish in the Grand Prix of Houston, becoming only the third woman in IndyCar history to make the podium, alongside Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher.

Following the events of the last lap of the Grand Prix of Houston IZOD IndyCar Series race on Sunday, Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti was admitted awake and alert to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston for a concussion, two spinal fractures and a fracture to his right ankle. Last night Dario had surgery to temporarily stabilize the ankle.

He will remain in Houston for a few days, at which time he will be transported to Indianapolis for further evaluation.

“Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes. They mean a lot to me. I would also like to send my best to all the fans involved in the accident and hope that everyone is alright.” – Dario Franchitti

Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Sauber F1 drives during the Korean Formula One Grand Prix at Korea. (Photo: Getty Images)

As Nico Hulkenberg sweats on his future, Sauber is not ruling out simply keeping the highly rated German on board in 2014.

Earlier, with the 26-year-old linked with moves to Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus and even a return to Force India, it had emerged Hulkenberg’s Sauber contract had been terminated amid Sauber’s financial struggles.

A fan watching Sunday’s IndyCar Houston Grand Prix captured the moment of impact from Dario Franchitti’s scary wreck on the final lap in dramatic fashion.

Obtained exclusively by Houston’s KPRC Local 2, the cell phone video shows the speed and intensity on the incident where Franchitti’s car launched into the fencing after making contact with Takuma Sato.

Franchitti suffered two fractured vertebrae, a fractured ankle and a concussion in the incident, while 13 fans were treated for minor injuries, two of which were transported to a local hospital.

After making the rounds on the Internet, the video caused IndyCar driver JR Hildebrand to question how cars continue to get airborne.